Lee student stars in Tom Hanks’ new film, ‘Greyhound’
Photo courtesy of Grayson Russell.
On a campus filled with students aspiring to work in the entertainment industry after graduation, senior digital media major Grayson Russell has been working in the field since he was young. He has gone so far as to work with actors like Tom Hanks in his new movie “Greyhound.”
“Tom was incredible; I worked less than 15 feet away from him every day for two months, and he is the least intimidating person I’ve ever worked with,” said Russell. “I’ve been absolutely blessed to get to work with the various actors and actresses that I have, a number of which have worked with Tom at one point or another — so we always had something to talk about when we’d go eat dinner together.”
As Russell continued to grow as an actor over the last several years, his focus has been split between filming movies and his status as a full-time student.
“It is a challenging process at times; however this is my 15th year in the industry and out of the 12 feature films I’ve been a part of, only three of them did not collide with scholastics, so it is a process I am quite familiar with,” said Russell.
Russell was quick to point out Lee’s flexibility in allowing him to live out his dream in Hollywood while simultaneously being a college student.
“Had the faculty not been so gracious in working with my work schedule, there would have been no foreseeable way that I would have been able to attend the institution that has so positively shaped my life,” said Russell. “I have been fortunate enough to do three films since my arrival on campus, two of which occurred during spring semesters.”
In reference to his most recent film, “Greyhound,” Russell found himself adapting to a far more challenging schedule than his prior shoots as he completed school work on set.
“‘Greyhound’ was an entirely different animal, as it was far more physically demanding than any other shoot I’ve been a part of,” said Russell. “In between setups I’d sit down and crack open ‘Gilgamesh’ for my Western Civilization class, as most of the time I wouldn’t have time to log into Moodle and commit to a particular assignment before I’d be needed on set. Most of it got done on Saturday.”
Russell’s faith has been central to his career, as he has maintained his identity in Christ while working in a secular industry.
“It is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” said Russell. “Actors are wild, perhaps more so than musicians, and they can throw down with the best of them; however, I understand that the only reason I am in this position is that the Good Lord saw fit to put me here, and if I don’t do the job He’s set before me, I’ll never forgive myself.”
Although Russell has had to divide his time between college and shooting films, his time at Lee has continued to develop a passion for acting and filmmaking.
“The respect I have for the industry and the way I act has been exponentially enhanced by my time here at Lee,” said Russell. “I’m forever grateful for my time here, and I don’t ever want to take it for granted.”
Video Production Professor Jeff Salyer has seen Russell’s passion for filmmaking and acting through in-class interactions and working with Russell on Lee’s Media Services team.
“I think Grayson is a little different — he’s humble, unashamed of his faith and willing to help anyone with anything,” said Salyer. “Every time we part ways he asks me: ‘Is there anything I can do for you boss?’ and he genuinely means it. On the Media Services team, he’s just as willing to carry sandbags as he is to shoot a video.”
Senior Bible and theology major Val Berger initially met Russell in their residence hall in Bowdle O’ Bannon during their freshman year at Lee. Berger has seen his friendship with Russell grow throughout college and remain constant, even as Russell’s professional career has taken off.
“I didn’t know Grayson Russell before he was famous. He’s always just been Grayson to me — not who he is on the silver screen,” said Berger. “The fact that he’s doing a movie with Tom Hanks was cool, but he just hasn’t compromised who he is — because he’s just Grayson, and he’ll always be Grayson to me.”
While Russell has spent part of his college career in Hollywood, Berger recalls the typical college memories with Russell to be the most significant.
“We still go through Cookout like normal college kids; we still run off in the country and get into all sorts of shenanigans,” said Berger. “I value how down-to-earth Grayson is — we’ll just go grab a Cookout tray and go sit in the parking lot in his FJ Cruiser and just hang out, kick our feet up, talk about life, shooting things, our girlfriends, families, our desires, hopes and dreams.”
More information about Russell’s films can be found on his Instagram.
